Scheduling: evergreen, available all season and beyond; use the Magic Academy: Learn to Play or Deck Building templates
Format: new player event
Rules Enforcement Level: Casual
Pairing method: Player List Only
Promotional material support:

• 1 Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender Beginner Box (in North America, LATAM, EMEA, APAC)
• Learn-to-play brochures and pocket reference cards
• Welcome Decks for participants
• Use remaining past gift-with-purchase promos

WPN member stores in North America, LATAM, EMEA, and APAC will each receive one Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender Beginner Box. We recommend using it as part of your Learn to Play demo experiences in place of Welcome Decks. After the demo experience, provide players with a Welcome Deck.

Please note: The Beginner Box will not be available in Japanese. For stores in Japan, we suggest continuing to use Welcome Decks for demo play.

Please use remaining gift-with-purchase promos from past sets. Promos should only be distributed during Magic Academy events when players purchase a Starter Kit or Beginner Box, or six Play Booster packs (the Play Boosters players use in Deck Building qualify).

Players must enroll using a Wizards Account to qualify to keep promotional materials; guest account entries are not eligible.

All promos and promotional materials are available while supplies last. For complete promo details, refer to the Promo Usage & Policies hub.

What Is Magic Academy?

Magic Academy is a beginner-friendly event series that teaches new players how to play Magic: The Gathering. Through guided sessions like Learn to Play for beginners, and Deck Building for advanced beginners, participants get hands-on experience with support from staff or mentors in a fun, low-pressure environment.

How to Run Magic Academy Events

These instructions combine the best practices for running both Learn to Play and Deck Building events in the Magic Academy series. Be sure to follow the appropriate steps based on the type of event you are hosting.

1. Register Players

• Direct players to create a Wizards Account at https://myaccounts.wizards.com/ if they don’t already have one. Only players registered with a Wizards Account qualify to keep physical event materials.
• Use the "New to Magic? Start Here" poster QR code (in the downloadable marketing materials) to make account setup easier.
• Encourage players to download the Magic Companion app, which helps with event sign-up and tracking life totals.

2. Show the Introductory Video

Set the stage by showing the relevant Magic Academy video on a screen in your play space, or provide players with the link to watch on their mobile devices:

• Learn to Play Introductory Video
• Deck Building Introductory Video

These videos provide context and easy instructions that help simplify teaching and give them confidence to jump in.

3. Identify Staff or Mentor Support

Ensure knowledgeable store staff or seasoned players who are happy to help new players are available to:

• Answer rules questions
• Provide encouragement
• Assist with deck building (for Deck Building events) and gameplay

4. Setup and Distribute Event Materials

Give out appropriate materials to players depending on the event.

For Learn to Play:

If using the Beginner Box for the demo:

• Set up the guided Beginner Box learn-to-play experience with the included printed guides for the new player.

If using Welcome Decks for the demo, distribute to the new player:

• 1 Welcome Deck
• Learn-to-play brochure
• Pocket reference card

For Deck Building

Distribute to the new player:

• 6 Play Boosters
• 1 gift-with-purchase promo (while supplies last)
• Learn-to-play brochure
• Pocket reference card

5. Guide the Activity

For Learn to Play

If using the Beginner Box for the demo:

• Run the guided learn-to-play experience according to the Beginner Box instructions.
• Then, continue play with decks from the Beginner Box.
• Give the player a Welcome Deck for participating in Magic Academy (for Wizards Account registered players and while supplies last while supplies last)

If using Welcome Decks for the demo:

• Have players open their Welcome Deck and choose one of the monocolored half decks.
• Pair players up for their first casual match.
• Once players have played a game or two, suggest shuffling in the other half deck to experience multicolor Magic.
• Give players their Welcome Deck for participating in Magic Academy (for Wizards Account registered players and while supplies last).

For Deck Building

• Instruct players to open their Play Boosters and review their cards.
• Guide them through building their 40-card deck.
• Pair players up for their first casual match and encourage them to share their decks with each other before playing to keep the conversation going—this experience is about learning and having fun more than winning!

6. Encourage Continued Play

At the end of the Magic Academy event:

• Help players find additional opponents if they want to keep playing casually.
• Share your event calendar and invite them back for their next event such as Friday Night Magic or Prerelease.

This is just the beginning of your players' Magic journey—let them know they're welcome to continue it at your store! As a next step, you might recommend further exploration and play with Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender Jumpstart Boosters.

Schedule and Promote Your Events

You can now schedule Magic Academy events in Wizards EventLink. We recommend scheduling at least one Learn to Play and Deck Building event ahead of each season, but they may also be scheduled as needed for walk-in demos.

Simplify player registration by displaying the Wizards EventLink QR codes at your store.

Boost your event visibility with available marketing resources, including Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender digital marketing assets.

WPN stores in the US, Canada, Guam, and Puerto Rico can also purchase customizable materials from the WPN Marketing Portal, and WPN Premium stores in these regions have a $300 seasonal promotional marketing credit for Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender that expires on January 5, 2026.

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